You are the reason
by NanouBE76
Summary: Ever since Rafael got over his story with Petra and Jane, no one has been able to come along and sweep him off his feet. When Emma Fontaine, rising celebrity,comes to stay at The Marbella, he finds himself drawn to her automatically. It will bring it's share of romance, drama, heartache and conflicts. There is always a reason for people coming into your life. Only time would tell.
1. Welcome to The Marbella

Emma looked out the window of the car as it whisked through the streets of Miami. It was mid-afternoon, and the sun was shining. The streets were busy with locals and tourists weathering the heat and the humidity of the beginning of the summer.

Her mind was nowhere in particular and for once it felt good. The past year had been so busy and exhausting, the change of pace, for once, was good and exactly what she needed. She needed to resource herself, charge up her batteries before the next big rush in her life. The beach, the sun, cocktails and sleeping in were exactly what a doctor would have prescribed if she had gone to see one.

She had gone far enough away from all the hassles and most probably where no one would expect to find her, and it was perfect that way. Despite the jetlag, she wasn't too tired. That was one of the perks of flying first class, you could sleep almost as if you hadn't left the comfort of your own bed. The only downside had been the relentless flight attendants who wanted to make sure that she was well taken care of and that the level of their service was impeccable… a bit too impeccable.

She snapped out of her abyss by her phone ringing. It had been sitting on the seat next to hers since she had gotten inside the executive sedan that had picked her up at the airport. Luckily, the driver wasn't too talkative or prying and aside from a few quick glances and smiles in the rear-view mirror he hadn't bothered her. She moved her attention from the window to her phone and picked it up. She put it on mute and looked at the screen. She sighed as she saw his name. It was Sebastian and she didn't feel or want to talk to him… not for a while longer. He too, was one of the reasons she was getting some breathing space. She knew that if she refused the call, he'd know and would automatically try to call again, so instead, she let it ring until her voicemail picked up, knowing fair well that he would leave a message. She bent over and dropped the phone in her bag. Maybe at some point in time she would forget it was buried under all the stuff she had and as they said, what was out of sight was out of mind.

"Miss Fontaine"? said the driver as he looked at her through the rear-view mirror.

She made eye contact with him and smiled. The driver shouldn't have to bear all the weight she was carrying on her shoulders, he was merely doing his job and there was no reason for her to be rude or unkind to him. That was a quality she'd always had. No matter how bad or tough things got, she never took it out on others. She was always polite, smiley and friendly.

"Yes"?

"We'll be at the hotel in five minutes. I'm terribly sorry about the bad traffic".

"Thank you. The ride has been pleasant, you needn't apologize for something you have no control over".

He simply nodded and smiled before returning his full attention to the road and Emma resumed her people watching.

Petra walked into Rafael's office apparently quite distraught.

"She's late. I've been standing outside near the entrance for the past twenty minutes looking like a fool".

Rafael leaned back in his desk chair.

"I'm surprised you were down there so early".

"Rafael, I mean come on, her plane landed two hours ago. How long can it possibly take to get here"?

Rafael stood and walked over to her. "I think you've forgotten how busy the airport is this time of year. On top of that, it was an international flight, she had to go through immigration, get her luggage, go through customs and face the heavy traffic".

"The driver probably took her for a grand tour of Miami".

"Next time get a helicopter".

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Besides I don't really understand the big fuss. It's not like we've never had celebrities here before".

"I just want her to feel welcomed here. The first impression is the best".

Rafael looked at her.

"Alright fine, I like her a lot. I'm a big fan, what can I say".

He smiled at her. It was childish almost but cute.

Petra's phone buzzed, she looked at it and grinned. She rushed out of Rafael's office without saying another word. He took that as a cue that she had arrived. Even though he had initially decided to stay put in his office, he had to admit that he too was curious to meet Emma Fontaine. He followed Petra.

As Petra and Rafael arrived outside, the driver was opening the passenger door. They waited within a reasonable distance of the car and watched as Emma got out.

Petra put on her most welcoming smile and Rafael found himself mesmerized as he watched Emma walk towards them. The light summer breeze was blowing her long brown hair. She was about Petra's height (without heels), slender and wearing a pair of blue jeans, a red blouse and a pair of New Balance sneakers. Her beautiful brown almond-shaped eyes locked on his and she smiled. There was something so genuine about her smile that he smiled back naturally.

She stopped in front of them.

"Miss Fontaine, I'm Petra Solano. It's a pleasure for us to have you here at the Marbella", Petra said as she put her hand out towards Emma.

Emma shook her hand. "Well, thank you for having me. I've heard wonderful things about your hotel. I can't wait to experience them for myself".

Emma turned her attention to Rafael.

Rafael shook her hand in turn. "I'm Rafael Solano. If there's anything you need during your stay, don't hesitate to let us know".

"I appreciate that and will keep it in mind. I guess the main thing I'm looking for is low-key and discretion".

"Of course. You've come to the right place. You shouldn't have any issues regarding the staff, we'll do our best regarding our other guests", said Rafael.

Emma nodded. "I'm sure that after a day or two, things will settle into place, but I appreciate the gesture".

Petra showed the way inside the hotel.

"We've set you up in the Presidential suite. There aren't many guest rooms on that floor and only people who have rooms up there can access the floor via the elevator. However, your agent seems to have forgotten to send us your list of requirements".

"That's simply because there is no list of requirements. I'm a very simple person Ms. Solano. As far as I know I haven't become a diva as of just yet", Emma said as they entered the elevator.

"And may I say, that is something I admire about you. How you have not let all of it go to your head".

Emma smiled as Rafael discreetly and softly nudged Petra. Getting a compliment from Petra was never easy, but he was afraid she was going to go a bit overboard.

"Thank you. I guess it's important to never forget where you came from".

Before Petra could answer, the elevator doors opened, and they stepped out and walked over to the Presidential Suite door. Petra handed Emma her key card.

"Again, if you need anything, day or night, don't hesitate".

Emma nodded and watched them leave. She put the key card in the slot and opened the door. She entered the vast and luminous suite. She dropped her purse on the sofa and looked around. There was a bar and a dining room table for six to the right of the living room. Huge bay windows let the light flow in and gave an amazing view of the ocean. She headed to the left and arrived into the huge master bedroom. There was a king-sized bed, a night stand on each side of it with designer style lamps. Next to more windows was a desk and next to the door she imagined led to the bathroom was a huge walk-in closet. From where she was standing, she could see that her luggage had already been brought up. She opened the door and gave a quick glance at the bathroom. It was spacious and had an Italian shower and whirlpool bathtub, perfect for relaxing.

She headed back to the main part of the suite and headed for the bar. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and poured herself a glass. She looked at her watch. It was almost 6pm and not only was she getting tired, but she was also getting hungry.

Still with her glass in hand, she headed towards the bay windows that led to the balcony. She stepped out on it and took in the beautiful scenery as she listened the to swaying sound of the waves. She turned around and looked towards the inside of the suite. There were a lot of blue elements to the room and the decorations were quite chic and expensive. It was a bit too perfect and upscale for her, but then again, it was the Presidential Suite. She smiled as she thought that maybe she should have given a list of simple, no frills requirements.

Within the hour, she had finished the hamburger she had ordered through room service and was exhausted. She went to retrieve her phone from her bag to charge it and winced when she saw she had a total of 5 missed calls from Sebastian. Luckily, due to the time difference, he was asleep by now,

letting her temporarily off the hook. She plugged the charger in the plug near her night stand and then realized she hadn't unpacked yet. She sighed. The simple thought of unpacking now made her even more tired, as if that was even possible, so she did what she would have done had she been home. She closed the curtains and stripped down to the bare minimum before sliding into the cozy, soft and comfortable bed.

As she dozed off, she wondered if it was humanly possible to sleep for the next three days... and even if it were possible, would it even be enough?


	2. A run in on the beach

Emma had been in a semi-sleeping state when she heard the bird's morning serenade. As she became more conscious, she opened her eyes and realized that she had been so tired, she hadn't budged an inch from the position she had taken the night before. She pulled her right hand out from under the comforter and looked at her watch. It was 5:30am. Early… way too early for normal people but she knew it would take a couple of days before the jet lag wore off and she'd wake at normal hours.

She sat up in bed and passed her hand through her hair and looked towards the walk-in closet. Unfortunately, her luggage hadn't magically unpacked on its own whilst she had slept. She scooted out of the bed and debated whether to take a shower first or unpack. It wasn't until she was underneath the warm flowing water that she knew she had made the right choice.

By the time she had showered, unpacked and dressed it was 6. She headed down to the lobby of the hotel. Aside from a few staff members who were preparing the breakfast buffet and tables, the hotel was empty and quiet. She bade a good morning to those that she crossed on her way outside. Some seemed to care less, others smiled back and whispered amongst themselves. Both reactions were things she was completely used to.

She walked out onto the beach and sat down on the sand not too far away from the waves meeting it. She pulled up her knees against her chest and looked out at the horizon. Aside from a few seagulls flying overhead and a few boats out in the distance, things were very quiet on that front too.

She kept staring out at the horizon asking herself a million questions, almost like throwing out message filled bottles in the ocean, hoping someone would find them and give her the answers. If anyone had answers, then she was more than willing to hear them, because she didn't have any. That was the scariest part of all of it… not having the answers. If she didn't have them, then who would? She knew she was the only one who could decide but she couldn't. Maybe it was too soon? Maybe she needed more time away, to clear her mind, let the fog dissipate and then maybe it would be clearer in her head.

"Good morning".

She blinked a couple time, removing herself from her deep thought of reflecting on her life, past, present and future and looked up to the left. Her mouth parted, almost agape, at the sight of him.

"Good morning", she answered back as she placed the palms of her hands firmly on the sand, ready to stand.

He must have realized it as he put his hand out in a soft intercepting way. "Don't get up. I didn't mean to disturb you".

She stood anyway, and he suddenly felt guilty. He had seen her from afar and considering they were the only two people on the beach, it would have been rude not to say hi… that and the fact that, well.. he was kind of happy he had run into her.

"You're not disturbing me at all. Actually, I've been sitting here for a while and I'm afraid if I don't get up at some point in time, I'll end up like a sand statue".

He smiled as he looked at her. She was wearing a pair of grey cotton shorts, a pink strap top, that let the black halter bikini string show, and her NewBalance sneakers. Her hair was up in a messy bun and she looked great.

"Well, not that we've ever had any sand statues here before, but you'd be the most beautiful one, we'd ever have".

She smiled back, touched by the compliment. She tried to keep her eyes on his face, which was really hard, considering he wasn't wearing a shirt… and to top it off, his muscular chest and stomach were glistening with beads of sweat from his apparent morning jog. It was way too sexy for… what time was it anyway? Right, too sexy for 6:30 in the morning.

"I see I'm not the only one out at the crack of dawn", he said.

"Don't let the jetlag fool you. Another couple of days and I'll probably be sleeping at this time of the day".

He nodded.

"You always get up this early"? she asked curious.

"On most days I do. The hotel keeps me quite busy and doesn't leave much time for myself, so I try to get some exercise in early in the morning".

'Some exercise'? Thought Emma to herself. You didn't get that buffed and good with some exercise. Either he had really good genes or he was downsizing his workout time.

"How far do you run"?

He turned towards where he had come from and pointed to a hotel way down the beach. "I go up to there", he then turned in the opposite direction and showed the pier. "Then down there and back".

Emma nodded. "That's quite a run".

"Do you run"? he asked her out of the blue.

"I haven't run in years", she paused for a moment and thought, "unless you count running away from paparazzi".

He laughed. It seemed really easy to laugh and talk to her. He was truly surprised. They'd had so many celebrities over the years and most of them were inconsiderate, conceited or felt they were too important to talk to a simple hotel owner.

"Joke aside, I don't have as much time as I used to. It's a shame really. I know I shouldn't be neglecting my body, but there are only so many hours in a day, you know"?

Suddenly it dawned on her that she was maybe getting a bit too familiar with him. She felt like she was talking to a friend she hadn't seen in years. It was kind of misplaced and the last thing she wanted was for him to feel awkward about this run-in. She told herself to get a grip and not be so familiar.

"Well, I'm out here every morning at 6, so if you want to join me, you are more than welcomed to, discretion assured".

She smiled. "I'm not worried about discretion, I'm actually worried I won't be able to run that far and I'll make a complete fool of myself".

"Then we'll only run to the pier and back, it's the easiest part, it's all flat".

She placed her hand on her chest, like she usually did when she felt at fault. "Oh no. I wouldn't want you to change your routine for me", she paused again for a moment, "I think I'll stick to sitting on the beach, but thank you for the offer, Mr. Solano".

He gave her a nod of the head, indicating he understood perfectly well. He started to trot backwards as he headed in the direction of the pier.

"Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me", he trotted back towards her, "and if it's alright with you, you can call me Rafael.. Mr. Solano sounds too professional".

He turned around and started running again. "Have a nice day Miss Fontaine".

She laughed internally. Ok so maybe Mr. Solano was a bit too formal. But in all honesty, at that particular moment in time, she couldn't remember his first name. What was she going to say? Bro? Muscle Man? Hot stuff? She rolled her eyes at herself, feeling not only stupid, but like a teenage girl.

She kept her eyes on him as he got further and further away, as she headed back towards the hotel. It was nearing 7am and as she had suspected the hotel lobby and grounds were getting busier. She walked towards the breakfast lounge and waited for the manager to arrive to show her to a free table. As she did so, she looked around at those that were already seated. Most of them were families or couples, enjoying breakfast before starting out on their daily activities. There was no one sitting alone… she would be the only one.

"Good morning. A table for one"? asked the manager as she came up to Emma.

"Sorry. No, I was just looking around. I've booked room service".

She walked away as the manager took care of a group of people who had just arrived for breakfast.

She shook her head as she entered the elevator. Why had she lied? She hadn't booked room service. And why on Earth hadn't she sat down at a freaking table? When had it not become OK for her to be alone to eat breakfast. Since when did she start to care about what people might say or think? As she looked at her reflection in the elevator mirror, she didn't recognize herself, and she didn't mean it physically.

It was 1pm when Petra met up with Rafael in the lobby. He was fine tuning things for an event that was taking place that night at the hotel and he had been so busy, he hadn't seen the hours go by.

"I think something's wrong", said Petra as she fumbled with her fingers.

"I assure you, everything is set for tonight".

She frowned. "No. Not that. I'm talking about Emma Fontaine".

Suddenly Rafael got concerned.

"Oh no. What's happened"?

"Well, I don't know", shrugged Petra, "but apparently there must be something wrong. I haven't seen her out and about yet. And I checked, she didn't have breakfast at the restaurant either.".

Rafael dug his hands in his pockets and looked at Petra. "She's fine. I saw her this morning out on the beach. She probably preferred having room service delivered".

Petra's eyes grew wide open. "Wait!? You saw her on the beach this morning and didn't tell me"?!

It was his turn to frown. "I didn't know I had to tell you if I bumped into her. She asked for low-key and discretion, if you remember. I'm being discreet and low-key".

Petra crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Fine. Did she say anything"?

"About what"?

"I don't know? The hotel? The service? Us?"

Rafael seemed to think for a few seconds. "No. She didn't mention any of that".

"Then what did you guys talk about. I mean you did talk to her right"?

"Yeah, a bit".

Petra looked at him as she waited to know more.

"Then what did you talk about"?

"Running, paparazzi, jetlag. That kind of stuff".

In all honesty, he would have wanted to talk more about other things, but he had found himself a bit overwhelmed by her presence and was afraid that if he had talked about other things, he would have sounded like a teenager, not being able to get his act together in front of a really good-looking girl.

"You are useless"! spurted out Petra.

"What are you talking about"?

"You should be focusing on how she feels about the hotel, not running"!

"Why?" He then looked at her. "Petra, what are you up to"?

"Nothing", she said as she started to walk away.

He caught up to her. "I know you Petra, I can see those wheels turning in your head and they are massively in motion. What's going on"?

Petra stopped. "Alright. I wanted to ask her if she'd be the face of our celebrity campaign".

"What celebrity campaign"?

"My point exactly! You know how many celebrities come to Miami over a year's time? Hundreds.. You know how many come to stay at The Marbella? 6, if we're lucky and not the A-listers".

"And you want to use Emma to reel in the A-listers".

"No. I don't want to use her, I want to ask her for her participation, her collaboration. There's a big market out there Rafael".

"And you're going to give her a commission for every A-list celebrity that's going to come stay at The Marbella"?

"No".

"Exactly, so what makes you think, she'd even consider it. What does she get out of it"?

Petra said nothing. Rafael had a point.

"I'll have thought of something by the time she leaves the hotel".

"Do what you think you need to do Petra, but I think it's a bad idea".


	3. Celebrity Campaign

Jane looked at Rafael as he put Mateo down and sat down on the couch.

"You alright"? she asked as she analyzed him.

"Yeah".

"Rafael.. What is it? I know you and I know when something is bothering you".

"It's just hotel stuff, I don't want to bore you with it".

Jane tilted her head to the side. "I know you own the hotel, but you know I never find it a bore when you talk about it. What's going on".

Rafael sighed. "Petra's got this stupid and crazy idea about asking a celebrity we have staying at the hotel to be the face of our new Celebrity Campaign".

Jane held back a laugh. "A celebrity campaign? What the hell is that"?

"Exactly". Agreed Rafael.

"No, I'm being serious. What is a celebrity campaign"?

"It's a way for celebrities to find The Marbella more attractive to stay at".

"Do you need celebrities to make the hotel profitable"?

"No. And on top of that, the celebrity that's here is really here because of the fact were not that kind of hotel and discreet".

"And you're afraid that what Petra wants to put in place will do the exact opposite".

"I don't know, but in regard to the celebrity we have here now… well yeah kind of".

"Who is this celebrity"?

Rafael looked at Jane and hesitated.

"Rafael, I'm technically part of the staff, if I was working, I'd know anyway".

"You're right and it's not like you're going to go crazy, I mean your dad is a celebrity and you act perfectly normally around him".

Jane smiled. "It's nice that you consider my dad a celebrity, but I don't think he's quite there yet".

Rafael nodded in amusement to Jane's remark. "It's Emma Fontaine".

"Emma Fontaine ? As in Emma Fontaine the actress »?

« Yeah, you know her » ?

« Who doesn't »?

Rafael looked hurt.

« Well, in all honesty, until I knew she was staying here, I didn't know who she was".

"You don't get out enough", said Jane as she smirked. "Emma Fontaine is a mega rising star. She's been in some pretty big productions in Europe and in the US. She's everywhere. She's really talented".

"I know that now", said Rafael nudging her jokingly. "I did do my homework you know".

"I don't doubt that for a minute. So what is she doing in Miami"?

"I think she's taking a break, looking for some peace and quiet. That's the impression I got from her this morning".

"You actually talked to her? Oh my god, what is she like"?

"I didn't really speak a lot, but she's different".

"Different how"?

"I don't know. I guess when I saw her acting history, I expected someone egocentric, full of herself, demanding with stupid requirements and she's nothing like that. She seems so simple. Not like the celebrities I'm used to seeing around here".

"I won't tell my dad you said that".

"You know it's not how I see your dad".

"You should, he is all of the above, or at least he was, he's gotten a hold of himself finally. When I said I wouldn't tell my dad you said that, it didn't mean I didn't agree with you".

She looked at him. "But something is still worrying you".

"Yeah, I just don't want Petra to be stalking her or breathing down her neck while she's here".

Jane shrugged. "So, you make sure Petra doesn't get in her way. I'm sure you'll find something, if Petra doesn't seem to back down from her latest mission".

When Jane had left he had played with Mateo and the twins for a while. Then eventually the evening rolled in and after having had dinner with them, he had tucked Mateo in for the night while the nannies did the same with the twins.

He worked a couple of hours from his penthouse and then decided to call it a night. He served himself a glass of scotch and headed out on the balcony. It must have been almost midnight and the nightlife of the hotel had completely died down. Those who would still be in the partying mood, often headed into the city to go to more upbeat bars and clubs. He was almost finished with his drink and was about to go to bed when a silhouette caught his eye. In the moonlight, walking barefoot near the waves, wearing a long flowing dress was Emma. He didn't know if it was the atmosphere or the backdrop, but she looked beautiful.

He returned inside and put his empty glass on the table. He crept into the twin's room and looked at the nannies.

"I'm going to go for a walk, can you keep an ear open for Mateo"? he whispered.

The nannies nodded, and he left the room and the penthouse. When he reached the beach, at first his heart sank thinking he had missed her but as his eyes got used to the darkness of the night, he finally saw her.

He nonchalantly walked over in her direction and made just enough noise as to not startle her. She smiled upon seeing him stop beside her.

"Don't tell me you run at this hour"?

He smiled. "No. I needed some fresh air and some peace and quiet".

She nodded as she turned her attention towards the ocean. "It's nice isn't it".

"Yes, it is". Even though he knew she was talking about the view and the peacefulness that came along with it. In fact, he was referring to being next to her.

"You've had a pleasant day"? he asked.

She shook her head and at first, he panicked that maybe Petra had spoken to her about 'her project'. "Slept most of the day. It was a terrible idea. Now I'm not tired. But I guess, if I look at the silver lining, I get to have this moment, which I wouldn't have if I were asleep".

"You'll get out of the jetlag in a couple of days and then you can spend the days doing exactly what pleases you. And you're right, you always have to look on the bright side of things".

She smiled. "An optimist".

He laughed. "I'd say somewhere in between optimist and realist. You"?

"Even if it's not always easy, I also try a combination of both. My theory is that everything happens for a reason, sometimes you just need to see the bigger picture to see why, but eventually everything makes sense".

"That makes a lot of sense".

"Really"?

"Yes. Why shouldn't it"? he asked wondering if he had made a faux pas.

She shook her head smiling. "I don't know, most people I tell that to, generally think I'm crazy".

"I don't think so. I mean I often ask myself that kind of question".

She looked at him doubtfully.

"I'm being totally serious. I'll give you an example. I had cancer a couple of years back and I couldn't see why, it was only after that I realized that it was so that I could appreciate life more, not take it or others for granted".

He then stopped and realized he had hardly spoken about his cancer to anyone except Petra and Jane and some of his closest friends. He found it odd that he had been able to mention it to a complete stranger.

"I'm sorry you had to go through with that. Are you alright now"?

Her comment and question seemed genuine and sincere and it's true that it had been a long time since someone had asked him if everything was alright.

"Yes, I was very lucky. Your turn".

She looked at him. "My turn? Oh, so we're taking turns confiding something huh"?

He shrugged and smiled. "Well, it's only fair, I've said something quite personal, I'm interested in hearing your side of the motto".

She seemed to think for a moment. She took a few steps back and sat down on the beach, he mirrored her.

"When I was thirteen I started having health problems. It wasn't until when I was almost fifteen that they found out I had a congenital heart malformation. It was very rare. I was on meds for two years, couldn't do anything anymore, no sports, no sleeping over friend's houses, constantly having my parents hovering over me. Then I had surgery, it was quite new, I was the 41st person in the world to have it. For a couple of years after, I would wake up soaking wet from sweating. I kept having nightmares that the surgery hadn't worked and that I was sick again. Ever since then, I've realized how lucky I was to be given a second chance at life and I stopped taking it for granted as well. I revel in the beauty people and this world has to offer. I'll be the one who's going to be crying of joy over a mother and child hugging, smiling at a butterfly flying over a flower or the sunrise or sunset, I watch the stars and just take all its beauty, everything around me is precious and I'm not sure I would look at things the same way, if there hadn't been a risk of me never seeing it again".

"Wow".

She suddenly looked worried. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to try and outrank what happened to you".

He instinctively put his hand on hers to comfort her fear and that's when he felt it.. the surge. He wondered if she had felt it too. "Oh no, don't worry you didn't. It's just nice to talk to someone who has the same view on life. I guess people can't really understand unless they've gotten close to… dying".

"It's like we're part of some private club. It's just a pity that people need to experience those kinds of hardships to live and see things differently".

He thought for a while then looked at her realizing what could have been important about that moment. "I don't recall reading that in your biography".

She looked at him. "Because I've never told any reporters about it and since medical records are private and there's doctor-patient confidentiality, I know they'll never find out. It's one of the only things I can try to keep private".

He suddenly felt touched to know that she had shared something private about her life that no one, no ordinary person, knew. He wanted to thank her for trusting him with it but thought that might be a bit lame. He looked down and realized his hand was till resting on hers. He didn't' know what he was more curious about. The fact that it was still there and seemed to naturally feel like it was meant to be there or the fact that she hadn't removed her hand from underneath his.

Suddenly, the playboy he once had been, wanted to offer her to take a drink at the bar, see where things would go. He didn't really feel like he wanted this moment to end. Yet as they had both said, not so long ago, things happened for a reason and even if he wasn't going to understand there and then what that reason was, it would end up taking their future relationship where it wouldn't have ended up, had it never happened.

Without warning a huge wave, came and crashed on them, even though the tide was not even close to where they were sitting. When it ebbed, they looked at each other. They were both soaked from head to toe. And so, with salt water dripping from their hair and faces, they laughed for a couple of seconds. He was the one who finally stood and helped her up. He looked at her momentarily. The

flowing dress from earlier had become a cling-on and hugged her curves perfectly. Along with the cold of the water, it also highlighted the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra. He discreetly turned his eyes away from her chest.

"I guess that's my cue", she said with a soft smile. "Good night Rafael".

"Goodnight".

He watched her walk away slowly, as she wrung first her hair, then the bottom of her dress. When she was out of sight, he turned and looked at the ocean.

"Thanks a lot"!

And he was being sarcastic. He wasn't thanking them about what had looked like a wet t-shirt contest, but the fact that it had ruined what he had felt to be a great moment. As he walked back towards the hotel, he couldn't help but think that she had only been here technically one day. One day and he was already eager to learn more about her and spend more time with her. If he did end up liking her to the extent he thought he would, what would it be like in a week? And how long was she planning on staying anyway? Was he setting himself up for a major downfall? Was he getting way in over his head in this? Was there a really a reason behind all of it?


	4. Creating a moment

When Jane arrived that morning to pick up Mateo, she noticed that Rafael was somewhere in his thoughts, but the look on his face was different. She didn't think it was about Petra, but these days you could never know.

"More Petra problems"? she asked.

"No".

"Then where were you right now"?

Instead of giving her a direct answer he asked her a question in return. "Can I ask for some advice"?

"Anything as long as it has nothing do with Petra".

"Imagine the following scenario. You're out on the beach, talking in the moonlight about your life with someone who sparks your interest. You can tell there's somewhat of a connection. Then out of the blue, due to outside circumstances, the time is cut short. What do you do"?

"You're asking me for love advice"?

"I gave you a scenario, I didn't say it was me".

"Duh, how stupid do you think I am. I write romance novels for crying out loud. Who is this other person"?

"Does it matter"?

"Kind of. I mean, I do need some more information".

"Emma".

"Fontaine"?

"Yeah, didn't think you'd need a confirmation on her last name, we spoke about her yesterday".

Jane opened her mouth. "You've got a crush on Emma Fontaine"!

He shook his head. "It's not a crush, we had a moment. Really had a moment and due to the stupid ocean, it was cut short".

"Cut short? Because you think that it could have gone a bit further"?

"I don't know. We were just talking about our lives and I felt the connection".

"What would you have wanted to happen"?

He looked at her. She wanted a play-by-play?

"I don't know, just spend more time talking I guess".

"You find her attractive"?

"Its not just a physical attraction. She's like a book. I got to read the preface and I guess it's given me the desire to continue on reading the book".

She smiled. "I love it when you use metaphors. Especially those I can relate to".

He stood restless. "Forget I asked".

"Oh no you don't. You don't get to start asking me for advice and then backout".

He sat back down.

"Ok, so you like her for the kind of person she seems to be and for her physique. You had a great moment that was interrupted by the ocean, even if I have no idea what that means. I suggest you plan or instigate another moment and see where it takes you".

"I could have thought of that on my own".

"Then why'd you ask me"?

"I don't know, I thought you'd have better advice than that".

She shook her head smiling. "You wanted me to tell you to invite her for a drink or dinner and try to make a pass at her"?

He raised his eyes in a eureka moment. "Yes"!

"No"!

"Wait. What? Why not"?

"Rafael, you want to know how many guys have pulled that stunt on her. Every guy that has ever approached or wanted her. You need to do something she wouldn't have any ordinary guy do".

"Like what"?

"I don't know. What does she like? What are her hobbies or interests"?

He shrugged. He had no idea.

"Ok, you still have some homework to do. Go do some research and find out. Then you'll have some bases to plan something… casual and unofficial".

"Right casual". He stood and grabbed his computer. "Thanks".

She stood and took Mateo's hand. "Good luck", she told him as she headed out the door.

Rafael did the research and found out that she liked to play tennis, loved kids and animals. He was happy to see that she loved kids and realized she spent a lot of time in hospitals or orphanages spending time with kids. Obviously, if he wanted to recreate a moment with her, he wasn't going to introduce her to his kids. He opted for the animal part. He researched a little bit more and found the perfect place to bring her as it was one of the places they donated money to. He made a few calls and set up to see them the next day. It would be casual and unofficial, just as Jane had said. It wasn't a date, but he hoped it could lead to one.

He walked around the hotel for a while trying to find her. He was about to call it quits, thinking she had decided to stay in her room when he finally saw her sitting by one of the outdoor pools. She was almost unrecognizable. Then again, even if he had seen her wet silhouette the night before, he had never seen her in a bikini and she was of course wearing sunglasses and a straw hat.

He walked over to her as he greeted guests and staff. She was reading a book on the long chair. She had one advantage, her sunglasses. He couldn't tell what she was looking at and therefore, he didn't know that she had been following his every move ever since he had reached the pool area.

"I see you're trying to stay awake", he paused for a second, "or are you asleep behind those sunglasses and I just woke you up"?

She removed her sunglasses as she smiled. "I would be really good at it then, because sleeping and being able to hold a book upright, is damn nearly impossible".

He smiled and watched as she put her book down. "Feeling more energetic"?

"Oh yeah. Another day or two and I'll be on track. Did you sleep well"?

He smiled. "Well, I had the taste of salt in my mouth all night long but aside from that I slept well".

"Yeah, I know, I brushed my teeth three times last night, then I gave up".

One of the waiters came over and placed a cocktail on her table. "Here you go Ms. Fontaine".

"Thank you, Nigel".

Rafael raised his eyebrows. "I see you're on a first name basis with my staff".

"I hope that's not a problem. It's important to be feel recognized. I told him he could call me by my first name, but he said he'd get in trouble".

"True and true. I'm glad you feel comfortable around the staff. It's important to us".

She took a sip from her cocktail. "So, what's on your agenda today"? she asked him.

"Work. Not much fun today".

"Ouch! That kind of sucks but you are the hotel owner. Someone's got to do it. Too bad you don't get a bit of time off, to do other things than work and run".

That was his cue. He didn't know if it was a roundabout sort of way for her to imply they should do something, but he didn't care, it was a great way for him to work in his proposition.

"Actually tomorrow, I get to do something more fun. Maybe you'd like to join me"?

She sat up and looked at him. "I'm intrigued. What is your understanding of fun"?

"Well, we donate money to the Monkey Jungle, help preserve wildlife and a couple of times a year, I head over there and see how I've been able to contribute to their cause. Ever held a monkey before"?

Her eyes grew wide open and sparkled. "No, never. Oh my god you are so lucky. I love monkeys although I've never touched one before".

"Then come with me. It'll be fun".

Her eyes dimmed a bit. He could tell she wanted to, but something was holding her back.

"You're worried about being seen"?

"Kind of".

"Tell you what, I'll make sure no photos are taken, that no one is to mention you were even there. I'll drive and if you wear that hat and sunglasses, no one will ever recognize you… except me".

She bit her lip.

He smiled as he added, "and if you're worried about your safety, should people or monkeys recognize you, I think I'll be able to protect you".

She laughed.

"We have a deal"? he asked crossing his fingers in his head.

"Deal. But if one single monkey asks me for my autograph, you'll regret it".

"Got ya. 8 am sound good for you? The earlier we go, the less people there'll be".

"Perfect".

"Then I'll meet you in front of the elevators at the parking lot". He stood content with himself. "Enjoy the rest of your day Emma".

"Oh, I plan on the next couple of days to be excellent Rafael".

He nodded and walked away. His heart was doing somersaults and he wanted to jump out of joy, like a stupid teenager.

When Emma returned to her room slightly before dinner, she grabbed her phone and saw that Sebastien had called again. She knew he would, hence why she hadn't taken her phone with her. She didn't even want to listen to his voicemail. She was in a great mood and didn't want to ruin it. She found herself thinking about Rafael's proposition and smiled. She was eager but wasn't sure what she was more eager about. Spending time with him or being able to see and touch a monkey for the first time in her life. Only the outcome of the next day would help her decide what she could have been more eager about.

Even though he didn't want to push his luck, he kept an eye out for her that evening as he stared out from his balcony. She never appeared. Had she appeared, it wouldn't have meant that he would have joined her, but at least he could look at her. He went to bed early as to be fresh in the morning.


	5. Monkey Business

When he stepped out of the elevator he was surprised to see Emma already waiting for him. She was wearing a pair of jean shorts, a black t-shirt, black Nike sneakers and a baseball cap. She looked stunning regardless of how casually she was dressed. She looked at him too and noticed that they were pretty much dressed alike except the baseball cap. Obviously when you looked that good-looking, why mess it up with a cap. She looked at her watch.

"You're late".

He blinked a couple of times and looked at this watch. "It's 8:01".

"Exactly. So, you're late".

"By only a minute".

"A lot of things can happen in a minute".

He leaned against the wall. "Like what"?

"Plenty of things. Like a wave crashing on you when you least expect it. In a minute your entire life can change".

He looked at her, she looked so damn serious. He was concerned she was going to hold it against him that he was punctual at all. But it was only a minute.

She burst out laughing. "I'm pulling your leg"!

"What"?! he said as he started to laugh.

"It was fun. You should have seen the look on your face".

"You're incorrigible you know that. I thought you were going to stand me up".

"Stand you up? I didn't know this was a date".

He suddenly felt awkward. Why had he used that term? He wished he could take it back. "It's not a date, I just used the wrong term. I mean come on, if I were to ask you out on a date, I wouldn't want to share you with about 50 crazy monkeys".

She tilted her head to the side as if she was analyzing what he was saying exactly but said nothing. Maybe she was reading into this way too much. Why would she even imagine that a guy like him would be ever so interested in her? He was the hotel owner, and this was probably something he did with every celebrity that stopped at The Marbella. Treat them well and they'll come back and pass on their recommendations.

"Right", she said in a neutral tone of voice. She then smiled. "Shall we get going"?

He nodded and pointed to his car, a grey convertible Lexus IS. She followed him and waited as he opened the door for her. It was a bit too gallant and date-like, but she let him do it. You could tell that he'd had a good upbringing. He was polite and had good manners.

They chatted a bit as they drove towards the Monkey Jungle and he pointed out some interesting places and things along the way. It had been a bit cool and windy when they had set out, so he had decided not to open the car roof.

When they got to there, they were immediately greeted by a man in his mid-fifties, short greyish hair and small round glasses. He was tall and thin and was wearing exactly what a explorer might wear.

"Rafael, how good of you to stop by", said the man as he hugged Rafael.

"Milton, I'm glad you could fit me in this early".

"Of course, I know that you enjoy some quiet time with them to see the improvements".

Milton then turned towards Emma. He took her hand in his and gently pulled it up to his lips and kissed it. Emma smiled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Fontaine. We are happy to have you here today. Now, the park doesn't open until 9:30, so things will be nice and quiet. My wife Nancy is waiting for you in the Amazonian Rainforest exhibit".

He then turned towards Rafael. "You think you can stop in my office on your way out. I'd like to show you the future new tenants we've been able to save and bring over with your donation".

Rafael nodded and smiled. "It'll be my pleasure Milton. We'll see you in a little bit".

When they arrived at the Amazonian Rainforest exhibit, Emma couldn't believe her eyes. There were trees and monkeys everywhere. From what she could see there were three different types of monkeys. She was so busy looking at them interact and swing to and fro that she hadn't realized that Milton's wife, Nancy had joined them, with a few friends of her own.

Rafael put his hand on her arm gently to get her attention. Even though he was simply enjoying the fact of watching her amazement, he knew this would make things even more incredible.

"Emma, this is Nancy, Milton's wife".

Emma turned around and her face lit up. Rafael and Nancy knew it had nothing to do with Nancy's presence but the two Squirrel Monkeys that she was holding in her arms.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Nancy".

"Like wise Emma. I'd like to present to you Bonnie and Clyde".

A big smile found its way on Emma's face and Rafael could do nothing but echo it.

"Would you like to hold one"?

"Really"?

"Of course,", answered Nancy. "Now, I think I'll give you Bonnie, Clyde can be a bit picky and has a hard time with some people. Except Rafael here. They're good friends".

Before Nancy could do anything, Clyde jumped from her arms and climbed up Emma's legs, torso and up to her shoulder where he decided to set camp and check out her cap.

Nancy laughed. "Impressive. He must have sensed something in you". She handed Bonnie to Rafael and took a few steps back, giving them some privacy.

"You're not upset are you"? asked Emma as Clyde slowly started to lift her cap off her head.

"Are you kidding? On the contrary it's another thing we have in common and trust me being liked by Clyde is a very important thing".

Bonnie was dangling from Rafael's arm as if it was a branch. She was clearly enjoying herself.

"Looks like Clyde found breakfast", said Rafael smiling.

"What are you talking about"?

"He's picking things out of your hair"!

"Haha, very funny. It's lint from the inside of my cap".

"I don't know".

She nudged him, and they started to laugh. When Clyde had finished eating the lint from her hair, he came and put his arm around her neck and looked at her.

"How long have Bonnie and Clyde been here"? she asked Rafael.

"It's been six years. They were the first of the monkeys that Milton and his team were able to rescue".

"With your donations"?

"Mine and some others, but yeah".

"I find what you've done amazing. I wish others would do the same".

"Do you donate your time or money to a particular cause"?

Before she could answer, Nancy came near them. "I'll take them back, they need to have breakfast before the park opens officially".

Emma pet Clyde and then let Nancy take him. "Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to spend time with them".

"It was our pleasure. Maybe you'll come back some day", said Nancy sincerely as she took Bonnie from Rafael.

"I'd love that very much. What you do here is exemplary. If that's alright with you, I'd like to make a donation"?

Nancy smiled as she felt touched. "Milton will be more than happy to talk to you about that".

"Do you want to walk around before heading back? The park doesn't open for another twenty minutes"? asked Rafael hoping she would say yes.

"I'd love to".

They set out foot through the rest of the Amazonian Forest and into the Wings of Love. Now it may sound romantic and straight out of a county fair love tunnel ride, but it was simply a sanctuary for captive parrots that had been displaced or whose owners couldn't care for them anymore.

"Oh.. you were asking me about causes, before Nancy interrupted us. I try to give more time than money. I go every month to local hospitals and shelters for kids and women who are victim of domestic violence. I also donate to a few cancer foundations and to SADS Foundation as well".

"SADS foundation"?

"It stands for Sudden Arrythmia Death Syndromes".

"Because of what you had"?

She nodded. "Yes. Over the years, donations have allowed amazing medical progress and what used to be a very complex and long operation for some of these pathologies, well now, they've become standard surgeries and new ones have also been developed that are less evasive".

"You're truly amazing".

"Aw come on. I'm sure you don't just donate here either. You also must have causes that you hold close to your heart".

"True".

"Then you're amazing too".

He smiled and suddenly, as they were walking, their hands brushed against each other.

She slowed down her pace until she stopped walking. He too stopped.

"Thank you, Rafael".

"What for"?

"For this. I had a great time. And it's been a while since I've been able to say that". She paused for a few seconds as they searched each other's eyes. "And if this had been a date, it would have been perfect".

Rafael took a step closer to her. "Really"?

"Really". She said as he got closer and she could feel his body touch hers.

He put his hand on her back and very gently pulled her in closer. He kept his eyes locked on hers as he brought his face closer to hers. Slowly their lips got closer to the point that they were softly brushing each other.

Petra walked into Rafael's office and was surprised to find it empty. He wasn't in his penthouse and no one had seen him that morning. She walked back out of the office and looked at his assistant Brendan.

"Where is Rafael"?

"I don't know".

"What do you mean you don't know? Look at his bloody agenda"!

Brendan took out the agenda and looked at it.

"There's nothing in his agenda for this morning".

"And he didn't mention anything to you about where he might be"?

"No".

Petra rolled her eyes. "You are useless".

She grabbed her phone and dialed Rafael's number.


	6. Suck it in

Just when Rafael thought things couldn't get better, that this kiss, that would finally happen, would be the beginning of something, his phone rang. As neither of them had expected it, they both were startled. Emma took a step back, and he realized that the magic of the moment had been lost, again.

He grabbed his phone out from the back pocket of his shorts and looked at it. He cursed Petra internally. He wanted to not pick up, but Emma caught sight of who was calling.

"Don't not pick up on my account. I'll go find Milton. Take your time".

"I'll be quick", he said almost apologetically, he said as he picked up.

"What do you want Petra"? he asked frustrated as he watched Emma walk away in the direction of the sign that said, "Welcome booth".

"Where are you"?

"Does it matter"? he asked feeling more and more aggravated. She was practically running the hotel on her own and his share of the work was done, he wondered what could have been so important that she would chase him down. Instead of standing in the middle of an aviary, he started to walk towards Milton's office.

"Geez, I'm only asking a simple question, don't get all sensitive about it".

"I'm not. It's just that for once that I manage to step away from the hotel, I can't even have some quiet time".

"Ok. Apparently, you've gotten out of bed on the wrong foot. It's not my fault if you're in a foul mood".

"To be honest, I was in a great mood until you called".

Petra blinked a couple of times on the other end of the line. That had been blunt.

"What do you want Petra"?

"We have a problem with Mr. Gashsteiner".

"Then fix it".

"I would but he's adamant about talking to you about his problem".

Rafael closed his eyes and sighed. Mr. Gashsteiner was an old family friend, and when he said old family friend, it was in both ways, old in age and old in friendship. Every other month, he would fly from Texas to spend a week or so at The Marbella, and whenever there was a problem, only Rafael could fix. Well, that was what Mr. Gashsteiner proclaimed.

"Fine. I'll be there in a half an hour. Offer him a cocktail on the house until I get there".

"Fine", said Petra, visibly aggravated as well now by Rafael's earlier comment about her being the cause of his bad mood.

Rafael hung up just as he arrived in front of Milton's office door. He knocked on the door before opening it. He put on a smile as he entered the office, not wanting Emma to be a victim of his slowly dying aggravation. His smile faded as suddenly as it had arrived.

"Where's Emma"? he asked as he looked at Milton. "I thought she was coming to see you about making a donation to the foundation".

Milton smiled. "She did and not only are we lucky to have her as one of our donators, but she's charming".

Rafael nodded in agreement with what Milton was saying about her. "Where is she"?

"Ah yes, she told me to tell you, not to worry, she was going to grab a taxi".

"What"?! said Rafael a bit too loudly.

He turned around and headed for the door.

"Rafael, didn't you want to see the new monkeys"? asked Milton as he stood and walked towards Rafael.

"Something has come up, I've got to go. I'll come back next week. Thanks for everything Milton"!

Milton watched as Rafael picked up the pace and started to jog towards the exit of the park.

When Rafael arrived alongside the road near the entrance of the park, Emma was nowhere in sight.

"Shit"! he said as he headed towards his car.

As he put it in gear and headed back to The Marbella, he realized that now he had two problems to fix, Mr. Gashsteiner's but mostly smooth things out with Emma. He hated the fact that she had felt she had needed to take a taxi back to the hotel. In the end, nothing was going the way he had planned or wanted. All he wanted was to spend quality time with her, get to know her and yes, the thought of kissing her, having her body against his and hopefully spend the night with her, made him feel something he hadn't felt in a very long time.

When Rafael walked into the lobby after having given his car to the valet, Petra was talking to one of the staff members near the souvenir shop. She watched him from the corner of her eye as he headed towards Laila, one of the concierges.

"Have you seen Ms. Fontaine"?

"No, Mr. Solano, I haven't. But then again, I just started my shift five minutes ago", she said as she shook her head.

Petra furrowed her brows as she watched him walk over to another staff member and ask the same question. He seemed bothered by the fact that neither one of them had spotted Emma and she wondered why.

"Rafael"?

Rafael turned around and found himself face to face with Max Gashsteiner. He put a fake smile on his face.

"Max! How great to see you! Petra says you've been asking for me".

"Yes. Walk with me will you"?

Rafael nodded and followed him to the elevators and walked into a free one.

"Why don't you tell me what's wrong Max"?

Max put his hand up in protest. "You'll see".

Rafael said nothing and simply looked at the digital screen as the floor numbers changed. When the elevator stopped on the 17th floor, he saw it as a sign. It was the same floor as Emma's suite.

He followed Max out of the elevator and into his suite.

Max showed the living room to Rafael.

"Now you see my problem"?

The room was filled with bouquet of flowers, mainly roses of various colors.

Rafael looked at Max. "As much as I would like to welcome you this way, we didn't do this. I know you'd prefer a bottle of cognac and a good cigar".

"I know. Besides, I know they're not for me".

"How do you know that"?

"I looked at one of the cards on the bouquet. Maybe you can find out to whom they truly belong to".

Rafael walked over towards one of the bouquets and removed the envelope. He opened it and looked at the card.

His eyes widened as he read the card:

"Emma, I will keep sending flowers until you accept my apology. I miss you, beautiful. I love you so much and I'm sorry I was a jerk. XOXO Sebastien".

He put the card back in the envelope, then back to its original position. Who the hell was Sebastien? Were they still together? What the hell had he done? Was that why Emma had fled to Miami? Was that why she was reluctant and careful when around him? And if so, why had she almost let him kiss her earlier?

He turned and looked at Max. "I think I know who these are for. I'll have someone come and take them out of your suite Max. I'm terribly sorry for the mix-up and the inconvenience".

"It's not a big deal Rafael. All I can say, is that Emma, must be an amazing person for someone to go to such lengths".

"Yes, she is".

Max looked at Rafael but said nothing.

Rafael left Max's suite and headed a bit further down the hall to the next suite door, Emma's. He prepared his hand to knock, then kept it frozen in the air a few inches away from the door. He then brought his arm down and turned heels! He headed towards the elevator and pushed on the button to go back down to his office. As he waited for the elevator to arrive, he looked at Emma's suite door again. The playboy version of Rafael wouldn't have cared about the flowers. Quite on the contrary, it would have raised the stakes and the challenge, and he never backed away from a challenge. But today's version of Rafael was cowardly walking away.

When the elevator arrived, and the doors opened, he told the new version of Rafael to suck it in and he made a U-turn and headed back towards Emma's suite. This time his fist didn't hesitate to knock on the door. He knocked twice in a very determined way.

After a few seconds, the door opened, and Emma appeared in front of him.

She looked at him and must have felt a wave of guilt. "Look, I'm sorry, I thought it was best if I took a cab back to the hotel, I didn't want to burden you".

Rafael took a step into the suite forcing, Emma somewhat, to take a step back. With one quick swift of the hand, he pushed the door and it closed behind him. He looked at her and once again their eyes locked.

"Either you tell me to leave or I'm going to finish what we started"!


	7. Letting go

He gave her a few seconds notice then, in a casual yet determined stride, he was in her comfort zone, pulling her into him. He felt no reluctance from her. He caressed her cheek then placed his hand around her neck and pulled her in. This time, he didn't let his lips hover over hers. There was no way he was going to let anything interrupt them. His lips passionately found hers and even if he doubted for a few seconds, when she responded fervently to his kiss, all doubt disappeared. As their kissing got more and more intense, he found himself, naturally, guiding her towards the bedroom.

As they stood in their heated embrace at the end of the bed, he paused momentarily and removed her black t-shirt, revealing a black laced bra that heightened the beauty of the breasts he had seen previously, through her wet dress. He could hear her respiration accelerate as he removed his t-shirt.

She looked at his muscular chest and felt the adrenaline rush through her body. She let her hands roam over it. As she did so, he let his hands wander behind her back and unhooked her bra. She removed her hands from his chest, allowing the bra to slide off and fall to the ground. She was aroused, and he could tell just by looking at her.

She unzipped her jean shorts, let them drop to the floor and elegantly stepped out of them. She was wearing a black lace thong that matched her bra. She looked beautiful and was perfect. He removed his shorts and tossed them aside, less elegant than she had for sure, but it wasn't what mattered. He lifted her, turned around and sat her down on the desk. She spread her legs open, allowing them to become one. They resumed their passionate kissing as their hands discovered each other's bodies. The touch of his bare chest on hers was magical. How he touched and kissed her was sending surges of pleasure through her body. It had been such a long time, since she'd felt so much passion, desire and love. Even though, she wasn't sure this had anything to with love. They were two consenting adults, obviously attracted to one another and in the heat of the moment were letting their desire unleash. Talking about love, would have been extremely premature.

His lips trailed away from her lips towards her neck, then her chest until they found her breasts. He gently kissed one of them first, then teased her hardening nipple before passing on to the other. She was at the apex of her arousal and wanted him bad.

He heard her moan out of pleasure as he flicked his tongue over her nipple, then suck on it. He felt her shift slightly and then felt her hand on his trunk as his manhood continued hardening. He brought his lips back up to hers as she stroked him. He moaned through his lips realizing he was reaching a point of no return. They must have both realized it because she removed her hand and instead locked her legs around him. It was all he needed to know she was ready.

He lifted her and delicately laid her down on the bed. His lips found their way back on her chest but only temporarily giving it attention, as he continued his trail down to her navel, then just above the hem of her thong. He glanced at her before going any further. Her eyes were closed, she was biting her lower lip and her breathing was quick. He hooked two fingers around the hem line of her thong and delicately pulled them down.

She lifted her hips slightly, allowing the thong to slide down her legs, then feet and most probably on the floor. She opened her eyes and watched as Rafael stood and removed his trunks. He placed himself over her and kissed her. Over the hour that passed, they took turns giving each other pleasure with their hands, mouths and tongues. It only took them one look to know they were both burning for more. With every different position, with every movement, every swaying to and fro, with every thrust, their love making got more and more intense. Amazingly enough, they both knew how to send the other one to another world. And when they came together, it was more intense than either one of them

could have anticipated. After one last surge of pleasure and shudder, Emma let herself collapse on Rafael, exhausted.


	8. Last night was

Emma woke up the following morning tired but feeling good. Her head was resting on Rafael's chest and he had his arm around her, his hand resting on her naked back. That's what had been the agenda for most of the afternoon and night, mind-blowing sex and then sleeping. Every time one of them woke up, their burning desire led them to come back for more. There hadn't been much talking and considering they were so in sync and sexually on the same page, it hadn't been necessary. She dared a peak up towards Rafael's face and saw that he was sound asleep. She too was tired, but her stomach had pulled her out of her rest. They hadn't eaten since breakfast the day before. There was a saying in French that said that lovers usually could live off love and fresh water and she rolled her eyes at whoever had come up with that stupid saying. They must have eaten all day before having a sex-filled night or never had sex an entire night. It was humanly impossible.

She shifted slowly from Rafael's chest and he stirred. She looked at him in fear of having woken him up but if he wasn't sleeping, he was a really good actor. In doing so, his hand removed itself from her back, allowing her to slowly and carefully get out of the bed.

At first she looked around for something to slip on but then thought it was useless. She headed to the bathroom on her tippy toes and took a quick shower. As much as she had enjoyed their night together, there was something about smelling sex induced sweat that wasn't really attractive.

When she emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later in her bathrobe and hair towel dried, Rafael was still unconscious. She looked at him for a few seconds and smiled. She walked out to the living room and called room service to order breakfast. When that was done, she headed for the bar and served herself a glass of cold water.

She walked out onto the balcony after having sustained herself and looked out at the horizon. It was 7am and the beach was still practically empty. It was hot already and you could tell it was going to be a scorching day. She put her hands on the railing in front of her and closed her eyes for a brief moment, recounting their amazing lovemaking. So, that was what it really felt like, when a man respected you and just didn't want to have sex for the sake of being able to say he'd had sex with you? Rafael hadn't been selfish at all. He had taken his time, making sure she had felt pleasure, he hadn't only thought about his.

"Good morning", she heard coming from behind her. She reopened her eyes and turned her head and saw him. He was smiling and looked great wearing nothing but his trunks. It must have been a crime to look that hot so early in the morning.

"Good morning", she said smiling back at him.

He came up behind her and put his arms around her. He kissed her neck and she instinctively put her hands over his.

"Did you sleep enough"? he asked her.

"Not nearly enough, but it was worth it".

He removed his arms from around her and she turned to face him.

"Look, last night was"… he started.

Her heart sank momentarily. Was time the moment he was going to tell her it was a mistake? That it was a one-time thing? That it could and would never happen again?

"beyond words I can describe. What I felt with you, I've never felt that kind of connection with anyone before. I know I may have rushed things a bit and because of that, I don't want you to think that I was using you".

Her spirits soared up again. "Would you find it corny if I told you the same thing"?

He opened up his eyes wide. "What you weren't only planning on using me for sex"? He ended his sentence with a smile and a wink.

"If that's what you thought then you don't know anything about me. There's such a stereotype about celebrities. I guess for some it's true. They don't really care about sleeping around, having a one-night stand, but its not the case for me. I don't give myself that easily. I need to feel that I'm being respected and not another sex trophy".

"You know, the idea of you being easy, never even occurred to me. In all honesty, I could care less about the fact that you're a celebrity. I don't see the actress when I look at you, I see the most beautiful, caring and amazing woman I've ever met. I guess I'm flattered that I earned the right to make love to you", he paused for a moment, "but that's not all I want".

She tilted her head to the side and looked at him.

"I don't want to just make love to you. I want to be able to spend time with you. Talk, laugh, have fun like we did yesterday morning".

She smiled. "You want us to date"?

"Well, I know it will be hard to convince you because you're afraid of the exposure, but yeah, I want to be able to date you and hold your hand, kiss you, touch you and keep on making love to you".

Her heart plummeted. Yes, but for how long? She couldn't stay here for months on end. Inevitably, she would have to get back to Europe, back to work. What if he… what if they got too attached to one another, then what? Separation, heartache and deception? If that was the case, then what was the reason behind her meeting and starting for fall for such an amazing man? She brushed all those questions and fears aside. She had always, almost always, trusted her instincts and, aside from Sebastien, they had never betrayed her. Maybe, it was worth a chance to trust them this time.

"Rafael, there is nothing I want more, but if this comes out in the open, are you ready for everyone to know? People will not hold back from making comments and judgement calls and trust me they can be really nasty. People will feel as though they are entitled to put their nose in our relationship, it will put a strain on it. Nothing is easy when it comes to stardom, especially not romance".

He thought for a while about what she said. "Right now, I don't want anyone knowing about us. Not here at the hotel, for similar reasons that you've mentioned. But I know that if was discovered, I wouldn't mind. I'm not ashamed to be with you, on the contrary, I'd want the entire world to know how lucky I am".

"So, are you saying we should give it a try"? she asked.

"Not give it a try. I hate that word, try. Try lines you up with a risk of failing. I can't envision that when I think about what I want with you. What I'm saying, is that I want to be with you and I want to make it work".

She put her arms around him and smirked. "Has anyone told you that you are a smooth talker, Mr. Solano"?

"Of course, but coming from you, I take it as a compliment".

He leaned in and kissed her gently. His hands reached for the bathrobe sash, to undo it. At the same time, he felt her hands stop him and she pulled away from his lips. He looked at her worried.

"It's not that I don't want, far from it, but breakfast will be here in five minutes maximum".

"You ordered breakfast"?

"Of course, why wouldn't I? You got to eat right"?

He was going to answer her when he heard his name being called out.


	9. Ring any bells?

"Rafael"?

Both Emma and Rafael froze and turned their heads to the right. Even if he had initially been tense, Rafael eased up.

"Hey Max".

"You know him"? whispered Emma.

Rafael smiled. "Old family friend. Don't worry". He turned his attention to Max as Emma took that as a cue to head back inside the suite.

"Rafael, have you forgotten about the flowers"?

"No worries Max, they'll come and remove them from your suite this morning". It was a lie. Rafael had indeed forgotten all about the flowers. In his defense, he'd had other things on his mind since he'd left Max the day before.

"Alright then", said Max, "don't forget".

"I won't. Have a nice day Max".

"I'd wish you the same but from what I can see, it's not necessary".

Rafael smiled and headed back inside. When he did he headed for the bedroom and found Emma. She had dressed and had made the bed. She was wearing a pair of white cotton shorts, a navy colored top and a pair of white sneakers. Her hair was up in a braid and she looked stunning.

"I'm going to take a quick shower. I'd offer you to join me, but you're dressed, and breakfast should be here any minute".

She moved towards him and placed her hands on his chest. "I'll take a rain check, because if I get in the shower with you right know, I don't think I'll be able to only just wash".

"Is that so"?

"Huhuh". She simply replied. She kissed him and left the room.

As she headed towards the living room, she felt as though she was walking on air. Being around Rafael made her feel like she was on top of the world, she was happy.

There was knock on the door and she walked over to open it.

"Good morning Ms. Fontaine", said the guy who was standing in front of her.

Behind him, she could see the trolley with everything she had ordered for breakfast… and it was a lot. She hadn't mentioned that it was for two people and she could only imagine what the people in the kitchen must think about her eating habits. She was certain that it had in some ways brought on jealousy from some of the women. 'If I ate that much, I'd be fat, how on Earth does she stay so slim? It must be so nice to have such a metabolism. It must be in her genes'. To which, she was certain some others would reply something along the lines of 'don't worry, it will eventually catch up to her and she'll get fat, like we all do'.

Emma laughed internally. If only they had known, that as a baby, she was super chubby, that her pediatrician had put her on her first diet when she was nine and that as a teenager, she would be a victim of the yo-yo effect. This job was so tiring, so demanding, that even if she ate, or rather when she could eat, all the calories were burned off very quickly. She would have rather had weight loss due to actual physical exercise and not exhaustion.

"Good morning", she replied smiling.

The guy walked in and pushed the trolley in front of him. "Where should I put this"?

"Next to the dining room table would be perfect, thank you".

As he headed for the table, she went to her purse and pulled out a ten-dollar bill. When he came back towards her, she handed it to him.

"Thank you so much. Have a nice day".

The guy looked at her in disbelief, then smiled as he took the bill. "You too Ms. Fontaine. Enjoy your breakfast".

"Wow! Now that's some breakfast"!

She turned and looked at Rafael as he emerged from the bedroom. He was wearing the same clothes as the day before, which was logical, and his hair was slightly damp.

"I didn't know what you liked".

He walked over and joined her. "I'm a very easy man to please".

He grabbed an extra cup from the bar and headed over to the table. "You want some coffee"?

"Yes, black please. You want some juice"?

He nodded and smiled as he placed her coffee cup in front of one of the plates.

They were half-way through breakfast talking about some of the different places they had travelled to when Rafael's phone beeped.

He took it and pinched his lips. "I'm terribly sorry. I have to go". He then realized that he didn't want it to seem as though he was bailing on her. "It's work".

Emma smiled. "Of course, and you don't need to apologize".

He took one last forkful of scrambled eggs, removed the napkin from his lap and stood. He stopped when he reached her and bent over preparing to kiss her.

"I'd like to see you later if that's alright with you"?

"I'd love that".

He kissed her then headed towards the door and left the suite.

Emma finished her breakfast then wheeled the trolley out in the doorway before returning to the suite where she decided to catch up a bit on her emails… which would end up being a mistake.

When he got to his office, he told Krishna to organize the evacuation of the flowers from Max's suite and to donate them to the local hospital, once all the cards had been removed. He made it clear that none of the cards should be opened or read, and be brought to his office instead. When he sat down at his desk, he took his phone out.

 _Thanks for the advice_

 _You're welcome. So, has Ms. Fontaine fallen for your charm yet?_

Rafael smiled.

 _Let's just say that its in the works. Mateo OK?_

 _Yep. Hey, did you know that my dad knows Emma Fontaine?_

 _No, serious?_

 _Totally serious. He raved on about her for like more than an hour last night._

 _You didn't tell him that she was here at the hotel, right?_

 _Of course not. But, just be careful OK?_

 _Why?_

 _Because, celebrities come from a completely different world. And…_

 _And what?_

 _Does the name Sebastien Page ring any bells?_

 _No. Why? Should it?_

He knew it wasn't a coincidence that Jane was talking about a Sebastien as they were talking about Emma. It's true that he'd been on such a mission yesterday, that he hadn't even 'researched' who this guy was.

 _Let's just say that he and Emma have history and he doesn't seem like the kind of guy you want to mess with._

 _Promise, I'll be careful and you're wrong about Emma. If anything, her world is million of miles away from celebrity life. Gotta run. Give Mateo a kiss for me._

 _Ok._

A half an hour later as he was looking at the budget forecast, Petra walked into his office.

She furrowed her brows. "You look like.. I don't know. A mix of crap and good. Did you not sleep well or something? And weren't you wearing those clothes yesterday"?

"I'm trying to cut back on laundry costs and even though my night was a bit animated, I slept quite fine".

"Animated? Now you've got me intrigued".

"I exercised last night. You know how I can be overtired and not sleep well when I exercise too much".

She rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me".

She sat down in the couch. "So, everything worked out fine with Max"?

"As always. Besides, it was nothing important or catastrophic. He just likes the attention".

"Speaking of attention. Maybe we should focus a bit more on making sure Emma is having a good time".

Rafael lifted an eyebrow. "What do you mean"?

"I don't know. I mean what if she gets lonely? She's been here a couple of days and maybe she'd like a little company".

"A little company? Geez Petra, it sounds like you're about to hire an escort".

"What?! No. I mean have you seen her around the hotel? Is she talking to people? Are we being friendly enough"?

Rafael tried hard not to smile. Oh, he was being friendly enough for all of them that was sure. "I recall seeing two days ago by the pool. She talked a bit with Nigel. I spoke briefly with her, but didn't want to intrude her privacy, she did ask for discretion".

Again, he wanted to laugh. He had intruded her privacy in every way possible.

Petra sighed. "It's too bad we don't have another celebrity staying here at the moment, they could keep each other company. See why I want to put in place that celebrity campaign"?

"Well, what about Rogelio, Jane's dad"?

"What about him"?

"Well, for one he's a celebrity, he's in Miami, he's family and two, from what I've heard, they've already met in the past and Rogelio is fond of her".

"You're serious? Rogelio knows Emma"? She paused for a moment then thought that it was better than nothing. "Fine, but maybe we should check with her first. What if she doesn't feel the same way"?

"Alright. I'll let you take it up with her".

Petra stood. "I can't I've got a meeting with a couple and a wedding planner all afternoon. Would you mind doing it? I know you're not really a big fan of celebrities, but…".

He cut her off. "I'll see what I can do".

"Great and maybe…"

"What"?

"I know it's not your job and I'm sure she doesn't need a babysitter, but until you can arrange something with Rogelio, if they get along, later on tonight, do you think you could, well, I don't know, keep her company. Maybe put in a good word for the hotel, loosely talk about the celebrity campaign.."

His eyes grew wide open in disbelief, but he was only playing a part. "You want me to keep her company? I don't know Petra".

'Rafael, please. I know I'm asking you a lot. I promise if you do this for me, I'll return the favor".

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, but only because you asked. And what should I do with her"?

She shrugged. "I don't know. Take her somewhere fun or for a walk on the beach. Take her shopping for all I care, just make sure she stays happy"!

With that Petra hastened out of Rafael's office. The minute she had closed the door, Rafael couldn't help but grin. He loved it when Petra had great ideas like that one.


End file.
